The rail journey between Mumbai and Delhi just got faster as the Western Railway (WR) has received the sanction to run trains at a higher speed limit. Now WR can run trains at 130 kmph on the 694 km-stretch between Virar and Nagda instead of the previous 110 kmph limit.
With the limit extended, the trains on the Mumbai-Gujarat-Delhi route shall gain speed. This is expected to cut down the travel time by 30 minutes to 60 minutes.
Currently, only Rajdhani Express and Shatabdi Express run at 130 kmph speed limit under a special sanction. However, with the blanket approval, more trains with Linke Hoffman Busch (LHB) coaches will get upgraded to the 130 kmph level.
As per an official, the process to revise the timetable is underway and all the zonal railways under which the stretch comes will be notified. The new timetable will come into effect from August 1 and it will reflect the 130 kmph change.
Trains like the Paschim Express, the Gujarat Mail and ones going to Rajasthan and Delhi with LHB coaches will be saving time.The Western Railway PRO Ravinder Bhakar said that the increase in the speed of trains has been possible due to the new concrete sleepers laid with long rails and maintained by high-end technology. These equipment have been imported from Austria.
While technology makes an advance in making the journey quicker, the safety aspect still remains in doubt.
A recent report by Mumbai Railway Police showed that more than 2,500 people die and over 3,000 are injured annually on Mumbai's rail network. The railways are considered as the lifeline for Mumbai's citizens but the report showcases a dark side of this transport.
The report compiled by Mumbai's Railway Police Commissionerate in 2019, stated that as many as 2,691 people lost their lives and 3,198 sustained injuries on the suburban network.
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